19 minute read
Artist Spotlight
Michael O’Connor
Michael O’Connor is a 28-year-old artist and Worcester native who attended college in the city. He works for the state’s Adult Protective Services program, and lives in the heart of the city. He’s worked in all types of media in the art world since high school. He has an Etsy store (Dark Gemini Creations) and an Instagram account of the same name where he displays mostly digital pieces and, on Etsy, sells stickers and other custom products.
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SUBMITTED PHOTOS
Watching city change each year
Turning 65 after a lifetime of living in Worcester
Brian Goslow
Special to Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK
There’s something about living in the same place — the same house, the same neighborhood, the same city — for 65 years (and yes, I still don’t and can’t drive at 65, but thankfully, I have the same amount of curiosity that I had when this picture was taken) that allows you to know where all the dents and breaks in the fences came from, what the vacant lots or more recentlybuilt buildings used to be decades ago, the transition of Old Worcester to New Worcester to Old Worcester to New Worcester being an already twice survived film; remembering helping one of your best friend’s family move their entire collection of possessions, packed tightly into already broken cardboard boxes, from the up the street when their home was taken for the Elm Park Community School after one of our classmates accidently burned down the Dix Street Elementary School Annex; the long walk up to the lower part of Grafton Street going past the beloved parts of the downtown of your childhood that had been demolished to make way for the new mall that was going to bring the city into the modern age; the reality that wasn’t going to happen about the same time the classmate from the aforementioned family was charged with murder in another part of the city (and seeing his son ended up in a similar situation about the time rumors of the next version of Worcester was on the way); and wondering how many of the younger kids growing up here today will be affected by the tens of thousands of new residents moving into the city and whether they’ll be a place for them at all. It was one of my first truly memorable life experiences, though, I tend to think every engagement holds its own memorable moment and as such, that’s why I appreciate my favorite current places to grab a meal or coffee – One Love, Theatre Café, The Bean Counter (in the same space that used to house Harry’s Deli when I was in grammar school and the Garden of Delights in my 20s, located across the street from the former home of the Highlander Diner, now site of the Sole Proprietor, which still holds the unique glass corner window from the diner), our various farmers markets and having Maker to Main offering fresh produce the same way all our local corner stores used to when I was a kid – and Lucky’s Café, which sadly is being forced to close its Northworks location this week with an uncertain future. When you’ve lived somewhere your entire life, every place tends to hold some kind of echo of the past.
Life is made of experiences, and
Brian Goslow, circa 1960.
PHOTO COURTESY BRIAN GOSLOW
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An assortment of doughnuts from Glazy Susan.
COURTESY OF GLAZY SUSAN
Scoop
Continued from Page 16
taly Boston. In 2018, she enrolled at Penn State University in a year-long program, commuting from Worcester to PSU, where she completed the Food Science and Safety Program with a specialty in Dairy. “The curriculum was diversified, but I chose to specialize in dairy as it covered everything from butter, ice cream, cottage cheese, yogurt, you name it,” said Moriconi. “The key to great ice cream is fresh dairy.”
Moriconi said she had looked into leasing a store front in the Canal District when the pandemic hit. “That plan flew out the window,” she said.
When friends began to ask Moriconi to make ice cream for them she knew she had to have commercial kitchen space. She worked in a Worcester kitchen for a while and also with Goss Farm in Dunstable to manufacture her ice cream. The Woo Trucks facility in Boylston is where she now spends at least three days developing ice cream flavors, etc. It’s very professional and everyone there is serious about food and food safety, she said. “The facility is very well-managed,” she added.
Moriconi is involved in every step of making her ice cream. She recalled the first time at the Dunstable farm when she made 100 pints for the Shrewsbury Farmers market and sold out in less than 90 minutes at the market site. She said sales indicated people really liked locally homemade ice cream. She uses fresh, local dairy from grass fed Jersey cows, and when you buy her ice cream, you help support Massachusetts farms, she said.
Moriconi and her husband, John Moriconi (a musician for more than 30 years), reside in the Tatnuck Square area, not far from the ice cream shop. “We love the neighborhood and Worcester,” said Moriconi. “I couldn’t be happier with the business location.”
She hired several students enrolled in the hospitality program at Worcester Technical High School to help out at the commercial kitchen and retail shop. “They’re great kids with good work ethics and always show up on time,” said Moriconi about the students. “They’re eager to learn and I’m happy to teach them anything and everything about my business, from recipes to food safety, sales and costs. It’s a win-win situation.”
In the new year, Mrs. Moriconi’s Ice Cream will open Fridays and Saturdays until the owner figures out a permanent schedule. She will continue to accept online orders. Check for updates on social media.
The shop also will continue with its monthly fundraiser ice cream flavor. “It’s our way of giving back to a very supportive community,” said Moriconi, who first made special ice cream to help raise money for the nonprofit Why Me & Sherry’s House in Worcester. “Ruck March Mash” celebrated the people rucking 100 miles as part of a fundraiser for the organization.
The Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce recognized Mrs. Moriconi’s Ice Cream with the Entrepreneur of the Year 2021 award.
In November of 2020, The National Ice Cream Retail Association honored Mrs. Moriconi’s vanilla and chocolate ice cream flavors with ribbon awards, scoring high marks for color, texture, taste and many other factors.
Moriconi is a friendly, enthusiastic and proud entrepreneur whose ice cream is crafted with passion. She says “life breathes into her meeting people.”
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Glazy Susan seeks input for Jan. menu
Owners Joseph and Susan Skrzek of Glazy Susan doughnuts in Worcester invite fans to “Choose the January Menu!” in celebration of reaching 10k followers on Instagram.
Visit www.glazysusan.com to vote a favorite in these categories: Brioche Ring/Bullseye; Filled Brioche Ring; Vegan; Cake; Mochi.
Worcester’s “first specialty doughnut company” opened in 2018 at the DCU Center. Scratch-made doughnuts are sold from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday and Friday; 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The business location is 50 Foster St., Door 15A; email info@glazysusan.com, follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
There’s still time to make a beeline straight to Glazy Susan before it goes on holiday break, Dec. 23 through Jan. 5. Mindboggling flavors, so many toppings and creative styles. There’s everything you could ever want from a doughnut.
If you have a tidbit for the column, call (508) 868-5282. Send email to bhoulefood@gmail.com.
Draft
Continued from Page 17
even what you would think of as a typical commercial brewery. The address on their farmer-brewer license leads you to the two-car garage attached to co-founder Bryan Wrenn’s Whitinsville home.
Instead, Slow Down hopes to gradually build buzz for its beer through draft sales at restaurants and bars around the state known for their epic tap lists, with the goal to find a taproom in Central Massachusetts somewhere down the line. For purely selfish reasons, I’ve strongly recommended Grafton, my hometown.
It is a risky approach to operating a brewery. Slow Down won’t have a reliable place to sell beer, test batches and introduce itself to new customers. Brewing out of a garage, no matter how big, it might also run into space restrictions as it scales up the brewhouse and nets more draft accounts.
But in a time where new breweries are thriving despite the seemingly never-ending global pandemic, I’m not counting Slow Down out. Its founders want to grow in an unorthodox way to be sure. However, they believe this path protects them from overextending themselves and skirts investors.
“My biggest thing, and these guys all agree, is we decided to go this route so we didn’t owe anybody anything,” said cofounder Dave Curini. “We’re all self-funded. We hope this path will lead to a self-funded taproom, rather than pulling in somebody who’s not as passionate about the beer as us.”
We were sitting at Reunion Tap & Table, Slow Down’s first draft account, drinking, “Panoramic,” the second of the two IPAs from the brewery that the restaurant has had on tap. One could argue that owner Sargon Hanna, childhood friends with a few of Slow Down’s founders, put its beer on his board as a favor. Hanna squashed that notion, however, the minute he ordered another keg.
Curini grew up in Shrewsbury, while the other founders, Wrenn, Rich Linehan and Scott Lynch, are from Grafton. All in their 30s, they’re beer nerds to the highest degree, which means one or all of the following is true: They have traveled north several times solely to visit breweries, rated a beer on Untappd and frequented The Dive Bar in its heyday.
“When we were all hanging out, we all had the same passion for the same beers,” Linehan said. “We gravitated towards the juicy New England IPAs. We got to the point where, as we continued to homebrew and produce products that we thought were in line with some of the beer we got at restaurants or at breweries we visited, we began to raise the question, ‘What would it look like to do this ourselves?’ How can we pursue this?”
If I’m being honest, it was difficult early in the conversation to gauge their commitment to this whole starting a brewery thing. Their passion for the industry poured out as we drained our tulip glasses, and I became more convinced of their conviction.
“When we started six years ago, it was after the first day that Bryan invited us over to brew and we get a text from Dave saying, ‘What are we going to name our brewery?’ Our first brew was just the day before,” Lynch said. “So Bryan responded with, ‘Slow down.’ That’s where the name comes from. We’ve been talking about this for six years and it got more serious as we went along.”
They tinkered with recipes and tossed out batch after batch to produce an IPA that to their palates tasted as good as those brewed by the best.
Vitamin Sea Brewing in Weymouth has been one of the breweries that has influenced Slow Down, in both the quality of its IPAs and how it built its business.
“I remember they (Vitamin Sea) even had a keg at The Hangover Pub in Worcester that sold out in a couple of hours. At that point they didn’t have a taproom,” Wrenn said. “There was really no way to get their beer at that time. They were able to build a cult following in a grassroots fashion, through draft sales at restaurants, building up hype about their beer.”
Slow Down brews every two weeks, with the founders finding time for brew days in between full-time jobs and growing families. They recently invested in a new one-barrel brewing system, which will increase their output.
They hope to land accounts at some of the more wellknown craft beer spots, from The Pint in Worcester, to The Abbey in Cambridge, to The Specialty Sandwich Co. in Holden. They’re banking on restaurant and bar owners enjoying both the taste and exclusivity of their beer.
“These restaurants and bars are getting beers from all the same place; they’re getting it from the distributors,” Curini said. “From their standpoint, we have a leg up on the other breweries going through distributors, because we’re the local guy. You can’t get it anywhere else. You can only get it here.”
Until then they’ll take advantage of their draft account at Reunion to burnish their reputation.
“Our model is to let the beer speak for itself,” Wrenn said. “We’re confident in our product. We know this is probably a more difficult way to go about it. I think that we’ve had the idea that if we get our beer into the right places, we’re confident it can succeed.”
Look for Slow Down Brewing Co.’s next beer, a double IPA dryhopped with Barbe Rouge and Belma, on tap soon at Reunion Tap & Table in Grafton. Track the brewery’s progress at https://www.instagram.com/ slowdownbrewco.
Diversity
Continued from Page 15
the average comic reader is not 15 years old but 35 or 40 years old. Santos agreed that “fan bases are loyal, committed and tend to be — especially in the ‘80s and ‘90s — largely white males.” So the average reader has a long history with comics and people stick with what is familiar. They view comics as their safe space — where they had agency, especially due to the culture Marvel promoted (Stan Lee’s fan letters, taking suggestions) which fostered a feeling of ownership among the fans, especially when comics were passed on to other writers who were themselves fans. Santos suggested that, to them, it felt like their space was invaded by political correctness and the popularization of these characters may have frustrated the old school fans.
Marvel may keep an ear to the ground after a rumor and notice if something angers a big part of their fan base but they do go ahead sometimes. An example is Iceman from the “XMen” comics who had been around since 1962 but about 10 years ago, Marvel had him come out as gay, which probably alienated some readers but now it’s accepted.
While it’s great that Marvel is planning to showcase LatinX voices, they have not always succeeded with the inclusion of people of color in the past. Minorities in general may have some political connotations, such as when Black Panther refers to Black oppression. Santos was open about his frustration, as a fan, that the MCU films have a tendency to either depoliticize these characters or to reduce any troubling politics to one character then kill that character off. So much of the social and political commentary that defines these characters is edited because Marvel may want to limit the politics from taking center stage.
For example, Killmonger from “Black Panther,” who is critical of the West and invested in overthrowing the colonizing powers, met his end in the movie. “All the critical commentary on the West got put in the villain and then they killed him off — it shows the fear of being political.” He also pointed out that the “Civil War” comic storyline was essentially about the Patriot Act, but the movies made the conflict more personal. While it was still about Iron Man versus Captain America, the 9/11 allegory and politics were toned down.
Gatej reflected on how the diverse representation of narratives and characters is a reflection of visitors to the Worcester store of That’s Entertainment, referencing the Pride month display that the store set up — gay, lesbian, feminist themes are more common in graphic novels and comics. “It brought more folks to our store — allowed folks to feel more comfortable and included here and now we have had an LGBTQ section for little over a year, that we had to expand on because there was an interest.”
She says that the themes run across all platforms, including manga, graphic novels and comics. “Literally, every type of person under the sun can find a theme, and I love that our store is so diverse that we can all get together and talk about pop culture and geek out.”
5 THINGS TO DO
NELLIE MCKAY, ‘A CHRISTMAS CELTIC SOJOURN’ AND MORE ...
Elaine Daiber.
PROVIDED BY NEW ENGLAND SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Richard Duckett and Victor D. Infante Worcester Magazine | USA TODAY NETWORK
The New England Symphony Orchestra will join with the Worcester Children’s Chorus and soprano soloist Elaine Daiber for “Festive Baroque & Beyond” at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 18 in Mechanics Hall. The program features selections by some of the great composers of the Baroque period, including J.S. Bach, Antonio Vivaldi and Georg Phillip Telemann. A new work by Mechanics Hall composer in residence Leonardo Ciampa is inspired by the music of the Baroque and will feature the chorus and soloist along with the orchestra. Masks required. Mechanics Hall COVID guidelines at www.mechanicshall.org/covid19 (RD)
What: “Festive Baroque & Beyond” — New England Symphony Orchestra When: 7:30 p.m. Dec. 18 Where: Mechanics Hall, 321 Main St., Worcester How much: $42 floor, $35 balcony; seniors $40 (floor); students $12. www.newenglandsymphony.org
Seasonal Favorites
The Worcester Youth Orchestras return to Mechanics Hall for its Annual Holiday Pops concert at 4 p.m. Dec. 19. Timeless classics such as “White Christmas,” “Christmas Festival,” “Let it Snow!”, “The Nutcracker” and other seasonal gems are on the program, as is a special guest appearance from Santa. The concert will feature talented student performers from: WY Symphony Orchestra, Jonathan Brennand, music director; WY Philharmonic & String Orchestras, Jack Corbett, director; WY Wind Ensemble, Lucy Colwell, director; and WY Jazz Ensemble, Dan Gabel, director of Jazz Program. Masks and proof of vaccination or negative COVID test required. (RD) What: Worcester Youth Orchestras — Holiday Pops concert When: 4 p.m. Dec. 19 (doors open 3:15 p.m.) Where: Mechanics Hall, 321 Main St., Worcester How much: $10 to $27. Tickets will not be sold at the door. All ticket purchases must be made in advance online using the WYO Box Office. www.worcesteryouthorchestras.org Worcester Youth Orchestra artistic director Jonathan Brennand.
PAUL CONNOR/ T&G FILE PHOTO
Nellie McKay will perform Dec. 17 at Nick's Bar & Restaurant. FILE
Nellie McKay is a fascinating singer-songwriter, one who brings jazzy vocals and a Broadway sense of theatricality to songs that have a pop flair. “David,” probably her most well-known song, is deftly crafted and extremely catchy: “David don’t you hear me at all,” she sings plaintively on the chorus, “David won’t you give me a call/Waitin’ here not makin’ a sound/David come around.” It’s a serious earworm, but even quirkier songs such as “The Dog Song” or her take on standards such as the frank Sinatra-popularized “How About You?” are engaging and irresistible. (VDI)
What: Nellie McKay When: 7 p.m. Dec. 17 Where: Nick’s Bar and Restaurant, 124 Millbury St., Worcester How much: $30, tickets available on Eventbrite.com
Virtually the Holidays
“GBH Presents A Christmas Celtic Sojourn with Brian O’Donovan” will be virtual and in-person this year, but won’t include its popular visit to one of its traditional pre-pandemic stops at The Hanover Theatre and Conservatory for the Performing Arts in Worcester. The in-person schedule called for two shows (which sold out) at the Shalin Liu Performance Center in Rockport earlier this week, and five shows at the Cutler Majestic Theatre in Boston on the weekend of Dec. 17, 18, and 19. However, the virtual edition promises to be a highly produced stream from the Cutler Majestic Theatre with O’Donovan hosting singers, musicians, dancers and story-tellers celebrating the season’s Celtic, Pagan and Christian traditions. Artists include Seamus Egan (co-music Director and multi instrumentalist), Maeve Gilchrist (Celtic harp and piano and co-music director), Owen Marshall (guitar, bouzouki and harmonium), Jenna Moynihan (fiddle), Moira Smiley (singer), Yann Falquet (guitar/accordion/jaws harp), Katie McNally and Neil Pearlman (fiddle and piano), Chico Huff (bass), Windborne (fourpart harmony singers) and Ashley Smith-Wallace (dance director). (RD)
What: A Virtual Christmas Celtic Sojourn with Brian O’Donovan When: 7:30 p.m. Dec. 18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26; 3 p.m. Dec. 19, 25 and 26. Your ticket will get you access to the stream on the date chosen and video on demand from that date through Jan. 2. How much: $40. For more information including a link to tickets, go to www.christmasceltic.com.
Brian O’Donovan. SUBMITTED
In like a ‘Lamb’
In “Lamb,” a much talked about horror/drama/mystery film from Iceland, a childless couple, María and Ingvar, discover a mysterious newborn on their farm. The unexpected prospect of family life brings them much joy, but forces are also work to destroy them. This striking debut feature from director Valdimar Jóhannsson will be shown locally by cinema-worcester Dec. 17 at the Park View Room, 230 Park Ave. Meanwhile, Cinema 320 at WCUW Radio, 910 Main St., will screen “The Rescue” for two shows Dec. 18. The documentary chronicles the enthralling, against-allodds story that transfixed the world in 2018: the daring rescue of twelve boys and their coach from deep inside a flooded cave in Northern Thailand. (RD)
What: “Lamb” — presented by cinema-worcester When: 7 p.m. Dec. 17 Where: Park View Room, 230 Park Ave., Worcester How much: $10; $8.50 students and seniors. Tickets: www.cinema-worcester.com What: “The Rescue” - presented by Cinema 320 When: 1 and 3 p.m. Dec. 18 Where: Cinema 320 at WCUW Radio, 910 Main St., Worcester How much: $9; $7seniors and WCUW members. WCUW members with their cards can bring a guest with 2-for-1 admission
